25.07.12

Above:Dad and Cory- Working on their bikes.Below I.: Food.Below II.: Salina.

These past two months have been beautifully bizarre. Usually I do not write much on this blog, but I have a feeling this situation may call for it as a way to recollect._______________________________________ To begin with, at the beginning of the summer I moved back to Salina because I felt like I wanted to be with my family before I would leave to Georgia. Upon moving back to Salina I fortunately (quickly) was hired at a Carlos O’ Kelly’s here in town. Throughout May and June I spent a decent amount of time there- until I couldn’t handle it anymore. By this time, Mokas, a coffee shop here in town finally got back to me about hiring baristas for their new location in Salina- needless to say I never went back to the restaurant again and started working the following week at Mokas. I was scheduled to be trained as an opener at the new location, so every morning I decided I would ride my bike to work since it would be cool enough in the morning to do so. I had got into the pattern of waking up, riding, work, and then riding home for a couple of weeks before something unexpected occurred. So, as I was biking home from my last training shift I run into Tom Dorsey, a fantastic photographer at the Salina Journal that I have had the privilege to learn from while I was in high school. We talked for a little bit and then he told me about how he had just got off the phone with the photography editor at the Hays Daily News in Hays, KS whom asked Tom if he knew of anyone that was looking for a job as a photographer. Tom asked if I was still looking for a job as a photographer and I was like, “well…uh…yeah!” and I gave my contact information to Tom and I got a hold of the photography editor in Hays…..I sent my portfolio and a few days later I heard back from him asking if I could come to Hays for an interview. _______________________________________ Things went well and I was hired._______________________________________ A few months ago I would have never thought my heart would have the opportunity to be back in a newsroom as a photographer; but as fate has it, sometimes things work in mysterious ways.

_______________________________________ Since being hired I began to search for a place to stay in Hays- and I found a nice little house on the prairie. It reminds me of a home that would be by a river in Colorado….This past year I have toyed around with the idea of moving to an Arabic speaking country (or moving to Lawrence to study Arabic at K.U.), because my heart feels like I should be learning at least a brief understanding of the Arabic language…and lo and behold…while I was searching for roommates in Hays I found a person that speaks Arabic whom will be my roommate! I am thrilled and am looking forward to learning more and more this upcoming year. The Lord certainly knows what you need, waayyy before you understand what you think you may need._______________________________________ These past few months have been a whirlwind- from thinking I’d be spending the summer months in Manhattan working on a farm, to thinking that I would live with Kenneth in Lawrence for the summer, to moving to Salina to be with my family before leaving the country, to fortunately being hired at a job that I have wanted dearly since high school. _______________________________________ Until Hays…

26.06.12

Carnival.

20.06.12

Above- Shadows and light. Below- View from the best coffee house in Salina, Kansas, Ad Astra Cafe.

14.06.12

My good friend Courtney introduced me to Rumi, and now I can not stop reading his work.

It is your turn now, you waited, you were patient. The time has come, for us to polish you. We will transform your inner pearl into a house of fire. You're a gold mine. Did you know that, hidden in the dirt of the earth? It is your turn now, to be placed in fire. Let us cremate your impurities.

I think the hardest thing is knowing that I am not wasting my time. I don't want to look back and live in regrets. To live elegantly, impassioned and bold.

It seems like every other day I am flip flopping about what I will do next with my life. One day it's continuing the process of moving to Georgia to teach ESL. The next it's to take a year off, take Arabic and live slowly. The next it's moving to Garden City to photograph the immigrant population residing there.

And in between all of this angst- waiting tables.

I know I will look back on this, as much of my writings and photographs and it will be something I will remember fondly.

Something about Salina drives me crazy. I don't know if I just put too much anxiety and stress on myself to get out of here, or if it's a good thing every once in a while.

Before August hits...I plan to create a few photo essays here in Salina. Check back in August for more details about:

A lot has happened since I have posted last. Fortunately things worked out that I subleased my apartment in Manhattan, and I found work in Salina, Kansas. I decided to move back home for a few months before moving abroad. As much as I wanted to live in Lawrence for the summer, I know that here in a few months I will be glad that I spent this time with my family.